October 30--November 5, 2016

Attended Malang Branch for church on Sunday October 30.  A few days before we had visited Suharto (President's companion from forty years ago who has been out of the church for he past 30 years).  He has decided to be baptized!  He feels it is time and he has known for all this time that the gospel is true--studies Book of Mormon every day.  When we were with him, we learned that he and all his  family are from Malang--the city where we had previously decided to go to church on this Sunday--and that is on the other side of the island from Jakarta and a long journey away. We were able to meet his sisters who are members and tell them the news that he will be baptized!  Everyone is so happy for him and what a miracle that we were here to tell them the news!

Suharto's sisters  and family.

 Malang Elders

 

Vocabulary Study on the Elders' Tile Floor!

Beautiful Tugu Hotel in Malang

 

Primary in Malang

 

On November 3&4 we were in Solo for interviews, training and Zone Conference.  Solo Stake Conference was held on Saturday and Sunday November 5 & 6 at the Novotel Hotel.  President spoke in Leadership meeting and in the General Session .  Our MLS couple, the Jefferys, gave their farewell testimonies and goodbyes also.

 Stake Conference Choir Solo  Directed by 16 year old Young Woman

October 23--29, 2016
Visited Bandung Branch for Church, welcomed  three new sister missionaries on Wednesday with training for them Thursday morning, then in the afternoon traveled to Surabaya for  Friday interviews and training and Saturday Zone Conference.  Also visited Suharto in his home in Tangerang.

President and the font he installed in Bandung as a young missionary.

 Bandung Branch

Three new sister missionaries!

 

 Translation:  Free Motorcycle and Car Wash

Surabaya Zone Conference October 29, 2016

October 16--22, 2016

October 16-22, 2016
Busy week with Zone Conference, two days of interviews and ten missionaries returning home.

Zone Leaders and Assistants to the President in the Assistants Office.

 Zone Leaders and Assistants in my "office" -- actually corner!  We sure love all these wonderful missionaries!

Sister Hanks (on the left) returned to Bountiful, UT.  this week.  Super missionary and Sister Training Leader.   She will be missed.

 Nasi Tumpung (Volcano Rice)   Traditional Celebratory Dinner

Ten returning missionaries and nine of them were Indonesian so we invited the ones with nearby family to come to the devotional.  We still had food left when they came, so everyone ate as they reunited.

Jakarta Zone Conference involves about 34 missionaries plus 3 sets of Sr. Couple Missionaries.
        Lots of books stacked on small columns of paper demonstrate that we are stronger than we think. Object lesson in our "continuous loop" training during interview time.
        The motorcycle wash --Cuci Motor--gives missionaries a chance to do service and contact at the same time because the drivers wait in chairs on the lawn and the missionaries visit with them introducing the gospel.

 This is Elder Budi one of our faithful missionaries.  His mother was taught the Gospel by Sister Aischa Tandiman when she was serving a mission in Indonesia.  Sister Aischa was taught the Gospel and baptized as a young 15 year old in Jakarta.  One of her missionaries was Elder Rowley forty years ago.  So one of our missionaries is here partly because of Elder Rowley's service.  Elder Budi made the connection and related all of this to us today at Zone Conference.

                                   
                                    Jakarta Zones October 21, 2016 PLD (Zone Conference)

 

Indonesian Version of a Jack-O-Lantern.  It was wrapped in plastic and for sale in the produce section of Grand Lucky Grocery Store.  Happy Halloween!

October 9--15, 2016

Conference Rebroadcast in Semarang on Sunday.

 Solo Stake Patriarch and his wife.  He remembers President Rowley as a young missionary in Semarang forty years ago as strong and full of energy!  Glad he's still the same!

 Our missionaries in Semarang.

 Waiting in the crowded airport Sunday night.

 Rainy walk to the plane...thankfully they provide umbrellas!

We welcomed the Steeles who will be serving in Surabaya as Member and Leader Support missionaries.  They are from Pleasant Grove, UT.  Every foreign missionary has to wait about a week to get their papers ready from the government before they can go out to work, so while the Steeles were waiting we took them to Solo.

 These Indonesian ladies were going to a conference in a big group and they always want to be photographed with Bules (White people) so Sister Steel and Presiden obliged.

 Our cute sisters in Solo.

 Some of our Solo Elders.

 The whole group at Blenger's Chinese/Indonesian Restaurant near the church.

 Mom and Sister of one of our Sister Training Leaders serving in Jakarta.  The 16 year old daughter is the choir director for her ward choir which will perform in Stake Conference in a few weeks.  This was right before their practice--they had 75 people there!  The dad of this family is the bishop.

 Love the pink bikes!  These Sisters are strong and amazing!

Saturday night I went out with the Sisters below and taught two families. The dad in this photo was baptized a few weeks later and his wife is still learning.  Cute little boy!  I asked how the sisters found them and they said the family was standing right where this photo was taken when the Sisters were across the street looking at their planners to find another address.  He called to them from across the street because he wanted his son to meet a foreigner.  They began talking to him and he felt the Spirit and wanted to learn more.  I asked him what he felt when he first saw them and he said, "Peace."